Stiga M96 6.5x55 trigger question

[Lever30]

Gents - I was lucky enough to pick up a very clean Stiga M96 in 6.5x55. Love the old Swede mausers, but usually they seem to use recycled military barrels with plenty of miles. The attraction for a Stiga was to get the Schultz and Larsen barrel, which at least was newer. Not sure exactly when Stiga made their sporters, but I imagine post WWII, 1950-1960 ish? Hard to get much information online. Also, I don't recall ever seeing a Stiga in 6.5x55...usually 30-06 or 8x57 it seems.

I could tell from the ad pictures that the trigger had been modified from the military one. The fulcrum seemed to be well back in the trigger guard. I guessed it had an aftermarket one (or a really messed up one). Turns out the former. Does anyone have any idea what type/manufacturer this one may be? It's obviously adjustable and as is has a nice clean light break.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53492031673_44201ebdf8_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53492032478_0965c4d55f_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53492294080_d2b80542e5_b.jpg

First link is the rifle, the next two are the trigger. Any help is welcome. Cheers.

 

[Potashminer]

I'm not sure how that one was sporterized - on your first picture, I see a little spring loaded pin going up through the receiver - but I do not see that on your second picture. Original Swede m96 would have had a shaft on front end of the sear - there should be a slot milled on underside of the bolt - idea was that the bolt had to be fully closed, before that slot lined up with the hole in the receiver - allowing the sear front to rise enough to release the cocking piece - in other words, an "all original" would not fire, if the bolt was not closed all they way - that may or may not have been done away with on the "mods" that you show ...

 

[riversrest]

Alright, It's modified. If it works, the term "never change a running system" would apply.

Maybe that trigger group was a prototype for "Bolds" or "Timneys", idk. One thing seems sure, somebody had a lot of time on it's hand to modify...

 

[Lever30]

Hi Potash - the spring loaded pin is part of the safety, and it's only on one side of the trigger assembly. It works fine and locks the bolt as well as trigger (it extends into the bolt when on safe).

The trigger has an overtravel and weight adjustment, and maybe sear engagement too (probably the locknut closer to the front?).

I would say that it's too well made to be a homemade jobber type of trigger, and the feel is really nice. Definitely not just a modified M96 trigger, those are as simple as can be. Was just curious if anyone had seen something similar.

 

[Hitzy]

Looks a lot like a standard Parker Hale M98 trigger group that was modified to work on a 96.

 

[Lever30]

Looks a lot like a standard Parker Hale M98 trigger group that was modified to work on a 96.

HI Hitzy - I think you've got it exactly. Had a google for PH triggers, and this is bang on like an early model they offered.
I doubt that Stiga offered these, it's probably just a decent gunsmith installation. But it's set up with a really nice light to moderate weight and no creep. Feels pretty solid.

Thanks for the hint!

 

[Baribal]

The trigger is an aftermarket Swedish domestic design intended for use with the HVA 1640, closer to the Sako trigger (actually, a mix between the Sako and the Timney trigger) than the PH trigger which have a thick heel sandwiched between the tang and the stock and the rear action screw goes through to heel of the trigger.

Stiga bought a bunch of the M94 when they were taken out of service in the '30s and later they bought M96 and depending on the "grade" of the model, they have either rebored or not military barrels or for the later higher grades a S&L barrel.

 

[Lever30]

The trigger is an aftermarket Swedish domestic design intended for use with the HVA 1640, closer to the Sako trigger (actually, a mix between the Sako and the Timney trigger) than the PH trigger which have a thick heel sandwiched between the tang and the stock and the rear action screw goes through to heel of the trigger.

Stiga bought a bunch of the M94 when they were taken out of service in the '30s and later they bought M96 and depending on the "grade" of the model, they have either rebored or not military barrels or for the later higher grades a S&L barrel.

So an aftermarket Swede trigger? Interesting, did not know they built them. Like I said, it's adjusted very nicely as is, so I don't think I'll be messing with it too much.

Baribal, do you have any references for years of manufacture/SN for Stiga rifles? I've had several FN Huskys, and the info is pretty easy to find for year of manufacture by serial number. But Stiga, not so much.

I'm pretty sure it's an S&L barrel, it has the S&L script on the barrel and the long, thick 'forcing cone', definitely not a military barrel. The receiver has a faint 'HK' before serial number 79###, so I am guessing it's inspected by Helge Kolthoff (Kehaya and Poyer have 1912-1923 as his time as inspector).

Thank you for the comments, it helps.

 

[Baribal]

Unfortunately, as far as I know, there is no database for the Stiga rifles. They were intended to be cheap rifles, an alternative to HVA, much like we got modified Lee-Enfield and all here. The only way to "date" it is by style. It's much probably from the '60s in a replacement stock.
In Scandinavia, there was a lot of small manufacturers of aftermarket bits for the Mauser rifles. They made everything, from triggers to stocks.
The military markings don't tell much about the time the rifle was made into a sporter.

 

[Lever30]

Baribal - I had guessed that it would be almost impossible to date it. As you say, the approximate age of the receiver is one thing, but the production date of the sporter is another.

It's amazing that what is intended as a cheap rifle in the 50's/60's/70's comes with high quality steel, S&L barrel, walnut or beech stock, and CRF. I know that you are right about the original intention, basically to use up surplus military parts, but when you look at the rifles in context of modern rifle manufacturing processes...well, you know where I'm going with that.

Cheers!